Hello and Happy Valentine's Day! Today's post is going to be about a grey hoodie dress made using McCall's 7634. There's also a quick tutorial below explaining how I made the heart trim. This is the second time I've used this pattern, and I once again found it to be a quick and satisfying sew for a comfy end result. The heart trim is the perfect subtle touch for Valentine's Day!
THE PATTERN REVIEW
Here's what the pattern envelope looks like.
This time around I chose to make View C, the grey hoodie dress in the lower left corner. As I had striped rib knit left over from a previous project, I wanted my final result to look pretty close to the drawing. So, no complex pattern hacking took place here.
I chose to make a size 16 this time, which fit me correctly. Like most commercial patterns, I think this one had a bit of extra ease added in, which I appreciated. Based on my actual measurements, I probably could have sized up, but I'm happy with the final result. It does seem that there is less extra ease than in other commercial patterns.
Ultimately, I think this pattern is wonderful. It's on trend and manages to knock out several trends in one: lace up tops, Fenty Puma striped sweatshirts, sweatpants with trim down the side, and hoodie dresses. It's appealing to younger (and older) sewers, and I'm glad a pattern company created it. In the future, I want to try making some version of popper pants with this pattern.
THE INSPIRATION
I knew I wanted to do something interesting with the trim of this dress. The pattern says to use 1" wide trim, so I initially wanted to spell out something down the sleeves of the dress using iron on letters that were slightly smaller than the width of the trim. I've seen this done on a lot of streetwear inspired clothing lately and wanted to do it for myself.
However, this proved to be problematic for two reasons:
(1) I couldn't think of any words or phrases I wouldn't get tired of.
(2) Font options are limited when looking for small iron on letters.
So, in the end I decided to do a repeating heart motif, because I knew it was more subtle but still a little more exciting than plain black trim. This took some trial and error, but the tutorial for how I did it is below!
THE TRIM TUTORIAL
MATERIALS:
1. 2.5" wide strips of fabric for your trim. The length is determined by how long the area you'll be covering in trim is. Alternatively, you could use a 1.25" ribbon or tape. I found it easier to just use a basic cotton, because you need a material that can withstand high heat.
2. A sheet of iron on vinyl. You can find this at JoAnn Fabrics or at Amazon for a slightly lower price. I used the Cricut brand vinyl for this project, but other brands would probably be just fine.
3. A 1" Fiskars Thick Punch like this. This is probably the most important material on this list. Note: A normal paper punch will not work on the vinyl. Select whatever motif you like from the 1" thick punches.
Other than that, all you need is an iron, thread to match your fabric, and a sewing machine.
THE PROCESS:
Step 1: Cut your 2.5 inch wide strips of fabric with the grain. Cut the strip to the length you'll need for your project.
Note: I'm using muslin fabric to demonstrate this here, because it's a little harder to see the black fabric in photos.
Step 2: On the wrong side of the fabric, press the right sides of the fabric into the center, as shown below. Imagine you're making bias tape, but the strip isn't cut on the bias. It might be helpful to use a bias tape tool to do this, if you can find one for 1.25" single fold bias tape.
Step 3: Use your punch to cut out your vinyl. For the thick punches, it's helpful to use a swift, hard motion when punching to get the perfect crisp cut.
Step 4: Iron your vinyl shapes to the trim. You may find it helpful to place a ruler next to the trim to line up the hearts. I roughly spaced the hearts one inch apart.
*Always test out the vinyl on a scrap piece of your fabric make sure it can withstand the heat needed to affix it to the fabric.
For the actual ironing process, consult the instructions for your iron on vinyl. For the Cricut iron-on vinyl, you first heat the trim (fabric) where the vinyl will be, then place the vinyl and iron it on both sides for about thirty seconds. Always use a press cloth!
Step 5: Sew the trim to your garment. Stitch close to the edge of the trim on each side, and be mindful of the placement.
2. A sheet of iron on vinyl. You can find this at JoAnn Fabrics or at Amazon for a slightly lower price. I used the Cricut brand vinyl for this project, but other brands would probably be just fine.
3. A 1" Fiskars Thick Punch like this. This is probably the most important material on this list. Note: A normal paper punch will not work on the vinyl. Select whatever motif you like from the 1" thick punches.
Other than that, all you need is an iron, thread to match your fabric, and a sewing machine.
THE PROCESS:
Step 1: Cut your 2.5 inch wide strips of fabric with the grain. Cut the strip to the length you'll need for your project.
 |
| The angle of the photo is distorting the rectangle somewhat, but it is actually a rectangle! |
Note: I'm using muslin fabric to demonstrate this here, because it's a little harder to see the black fabric in photos.
Step 2: On the wrong side of the fabric, press the right sides of the fabric into the center, as shown below. Imagine you're making bias tape, but the strip isn't cut on the bias. It might be helpful to use a bias tape tool to do this, if you can find one for 1.25" single fold bias tape.
Step 3: Use your punch to cut out your vinyl. For the thick punches, it's helpful to use a swift, hard motion when punching to get the perfect crisp cut.
Step 4: Iron your vinyl shapes to the trim. You may find it helpful to place a ruler next to the trim to line up the hearts. I roughly spaced the hearts one inch apart.
*Always test out the vinyl on a scrap piece of your fabric make sure it can withstand the heat needed to affix it to the fabric.
For the actual ironing process, consult the instructions for your iron on vinyl. For the Cricut iron-on vinyl, you first heat the trim (fabric) where the vinyl will be, then place the vinyl and iron it on both sides for about thirty seconds. Always use a press cloth!
Step 5: Sew the trim to your garment. Stitch close to the edge of the trim on each side, and be mindful of the placement.
THE FINAL RESULT
Here's the final outcome!
Valentine's Day is one of my favorite holidays, because I love to browse the availability of cute red, pink, and heart themed items available everywhere. It took me a while to get this post up, as it was actually supposed to be up far before Valentines Day. I hope that this post is still helpful and interesting to you.
I've already worn this dress a number of times, and it has held up well to several washings. It's always wonderful to make something you actually enjoy wearing.
I've already worn this dress a number of times, and it has held up well to several washings. It's always wonderful to make something you actually enjoy wearing.
Thank you so much for stopping by!
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